American Hustle

I’m not sure if David O. Russell  is planning to direct another feature film this year, but if he does, he’s on course for a hat trick.

After writing and directing the game changing romantic comedy “Silver Linings Playbook” in 2012, Russell is back this awards season in a serious way with “American Hustle,” an absolute knock-out, rollicking good time for its entire 129 minutes. You’ll wonder if it’s actually Scorsese behind the camera, but something tells me even Scorsese wouldn’t have hustled this good.

As the opening title card so tongue-in-cheekily announces, “Some of this actually happened.” In that superbly amusing moment, you should know exactly what you’re in for. After all, the film was originally titled “American Bullshit.”

The film tells the admittedly, somewhat true story of Irving Rosenfeld, a conflicted con man with a ridiculous hairpiece, and his mystifying con partner and lover Sydney Prosser. The pair are living large, swindling inconspicuous people out of their money when they’re caught and forced to work for the FBI by Agent Richie DiMaso. But Richie, Irving and Sydney’s scheme could all come crashing down if Irving’s wife, Rosalyn, so chooses.

Russell, clearly a master at assembling star-studded casts, brought together Christian Bale and Amy Adams from 2010’s “The Fighter,” and Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence from 2012’s “Silver Linings Playbook”, and added Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner for good measure. The five are all riding high at the top of their games, each an intricate high wire act ready to fall or combust at any given moment.

Though each could already be an Academy Award nominee for “American Hustle” as you’re reading this, it would be the ultimate con if Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams were snubbed by the Academy for their roles as Irving’s wife and his con partner/lover, respectively.

Co-screenwriters Eric Singer and Russell have written their roles of a lifetime, which is something considering each woman’s filmography. Adams and Lawrence are loose cannons in the most exhilarating sense, at times both unhinged and undeniably the sharpest characters on screen.

But another of the script’s strengths is its refusal to make any of the characters a “good guy.” These are all people gunning for their own best interests. It creates an interesting portrait when the con artists often times out moral the FBI agent or the politician.

On top of bringing out the best in his actors, Russell has fully immersed “American Hustle” in a crazy-sexy 1970s vibe. From the low cut tops, the big tinted glasses, and the sweeping hairdos, he’s created a period piece that will make you obscenely jealous to be living in the 2010s.

When carving out your top 10 lists of 2013 and reminiscing on who’s really defining modern movie-making, save space for “American Hustle,” David O. Russell, and his magnificent cast of actors. It’s a wild and unexpected ride you won’t want to end.